Driving Sports

Only a day after Subaru's parent dropped a bombshell that it was departing from WRC action in 2009, Subaru of America dropped some news of its own: the Subaru Legacy Concept will be shown at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Historically, Subaru tends to use alphanumeric nomenclature for its "far out" concepts. For example, the hatchback-esque new-generation Impreza was previewed as the B5TPH concept a long time before the 2008 Impreza was ever spied, and yes, it underwent significant changes prior to signing off on the final sheet metal. Therefore what we're looking at here may be very close to the final 2010 Subaru Legacy, which could be available at dealerships as soon as August, 2009.

We've taken the liberty to mark up the first photo as provided by Subaru with key details on the concept. We've also lightened it a bit to bring out some of the edges. (You can see the unretouched photo by clicking the thumbnail at the lede of this story.)

It's immediately apparent that shape is a significant departure from the outgoing Legacy. The nose has elements of the Tribeca, specifically the high waistline and the stacked headlights, as well as some inspiration from Audi. If you cut out the full nose area it's very similar to Audi's big mouth design. At first blush, it appears as though Subaru is aiming squarely at the Audi or BMW, but take a look at that ground clearance. It may be an illusion from the angle of the picture (we're hoping), but that looks awfully high for a canyon-cutting saloon. Sport lux crossover a la Outback?

Under the hood is a 3.6-liter boxer motor powering Subaru symmetrical all-wheel drive configuration. No further specs were provided, but it would probably be safe to guess this drivetrain was pulled off the Tribeca parts counter. Turbos are unlikely for this concept since there is no trademark Subaru hoodscoop, therefore power is probably on par with the Tribeca's 260hp motor.

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Press Release:

Cherry Hill, N.J., December 17, 2008 – Subaru of America, Inc., today announced that the Subaru LEGACY CONCEPT will debut at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit January 11^th. The NAIAS is open to the public January 17 through 25, 2009.

Celebrating 20 years of the Legacy sedan, the LEGACY CONCEPT showcases the direction of future Legacy sedan design. The exterior highlights the sportiness and dynamism befitting a car powered by a 3.6-liter Horizontally-Opposed Boxer engine. A distinctive front fascia and flared wheel arches establish a powerful road presence and hint at the exceptional handling promised by the Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system and low center of gravity. The interior embodies modern, high-tech architecture while delivering a comfortable environment for occupants.

The Subaru Legacy series was first introduced in 1989 and next year it will celebrate its 20^th anniversary of the start of production. Manufactured in Gunma, Japan and Lafayette, Indiana USA, global production has exceeded 3.6 million units.* The United States accounts for 43-percent of the production volume. The model has been highly acclaimed as a core product of Subaru in the world due to its excellent driving performance, strong safety record and dependability provided by Subaru’s renowned Symmetrical AWD system with Horizontally-Opposed engines.